Srinagar : With the overwhelming and resounding victory of the National Conference (NC) candidate Irshad Rasool Kar in the Sopore Assembly Constituency, the impressive margin of 26,975 votes led to the forfeiture of deposits for all 19 of his opponents, speaking Kar’s unchallenged supremacy in the race.
Kar, a rising star in the region, turned what was expected to be a competitive contest into a one-sided affair, as his victory coupled with the forfeiture of all his opponents’ deposits. Irshad’s rival Mursaleen Aajir, an independent candidate backed by the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), managed just 6,619 votes. Two-time MLA and once a dominant figure in Sopore’s political landscape, Abdul Rashid Dar, fared little better, securing only 5,167 votes, which marked a symbolic end to his political reign in the constituency. Among the other notable candidates was Irfan Ali Lone of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who polled just 1,687 votes, while Mohammad Latief Wani, a lawyer by profession and expected to give NC’s Kar a tough fight, could muster only 2,099 votes.
A once stronghold for Jamaat-e-Islami, Sopore saw its candidate Manzoor Ahmad Kaloo perform poorly, obtaining a mere 406 votes. This was a significant decline for the Jamaat and separatist-backed candidates, reflecting a major shift in the political dynamics of the constituency. Similarly, Aijaz Ahmad Guroo, the brother of Afzal Guru, who was associated with the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, received only 129 votes.
Similarly, Ghulam Mohammad War of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) garnered 1,519 votes, followed by Irshad Ahmad Tantry of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference (JKANC) with 1,154 votes.
Dr Farooz Ahmad Ganai managed 1,066 votes, while Dr Manzoor Ahmad Bhat of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference received 987 votes.
Other candidates in the race included Tanveer Fatima, who secured 215 votes, Aijaz Ahmad Ganai with 848 votes, Arti Nehru with 471 votes, and Shuiqb Mohammad Sheikh with 469 votes. Raquib ul Rashif Budha of the JK All Alliance Democratic Party garnered 270 votes, Rizwan Illahi Parvaiz received 258 votes, and Farooq Rather of the Rashtriya Lok Dal trailed with 178 votes.
Notably, 341 voters chose the NOTA (None of the Above) option, reflecting a degree of dissatisfaction among some sections of the electorate
